Glenn Dolphin

Biography

My name is Glenn Dolphin. I started my formal post-secondary education as a geology major, receiving both my BS and MA in geology.  After graduating, I took a job as a geologist for a groundwater consulting firm in New Jersey (talk about job security).  After realizing that corporate life was not cut out for me, went back to school to gain my MAT in geology.  I taught for half a year in the Elmira school district, Elmira, NY, followed by 13 years teaching earth science in the Union-Endicott school district, Endicott, NY.  During this time, I held the position of STANYS (Science Teachers Association of New York State) Director at Large (DAL) for earth science.  It was during this time that I became involved in teacher professional development, giving multiple presentations and workshops on the use of models, history of science, and drawing as part of the teaching repertoire.

I became very interested in using the history of science as a vehicle for teaching science content.  To pursue this interest, I went back to school, yet again, to get my PhD in science education.  The object of this partnership is to help build capacity in KU’s teacher education program. This is where I strengthened my skills as an educational researcher. I accepted the position as Tamaratt Teaching Professor in Geoscience in 2013 and have been teaching and researching student learning since then.

My projects have been using the history and philosophy of geology to teach geology concepts as well as the nature of science. My more recent research has also led me into the field of cognitive linguistics in researching the role that metaphor plays in teaching and learning. Most recently, I have been involved with the development and implementation of virtual outcrop models (VOMs) in undergraduate geology courses.